Air washer



July 15, 1924.`

B. S. HARRISON AIR WASHER Filedl Feb. 4v, 1922 w m e ou m Ww Y O /Uf /Uf w ILHHH .m W

5 'ffy Patented `lilly l5, 1924e iii-'ran stares Partnr, orrics. l

BUR'I S. HARRISON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, v.ASISIGNOR TO DRYING SYSTEMS, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OE ILLINOIS.

Aira WASHER.

Application tiled. February 4, 1922.. -Serial. No. 534,272.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Bonr S.. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a` resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State oflllinois, have inventedl a new and useful Improvement in Air Washers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for washing air, not by mechani- -cally operatedsprays, but through the result of developing pressure in the air and dividing it into thin sheet-like columns, and causing these moving sheets of' air to engage the surface of the water and extend the surface to a very large area compared with the space available in the apparatus, this extension of the water surface being due to the pressure and fio'w of the air as controlled by the particular construction of theapparatus.

The objects` of the invention areto avoid the necessity of using spray heads or otherf mechanical means for agitating or spraying the water, other than the particular vmeans for developing the desired pressure inthe air; to reduce the expense of construction of air washing machines; and to vastly increase the eiciency of static washers by arranging for a large surface contact between the moving air columns and water. A further object of the invention is to arrange for centrifugal motion of foreign particles through the air and into Contact with the water surface. lt' is also an object of the invention to overcome the objectionable throwing out of the washer of most of the water or .causing too much entrained water to travel with the air as occurs in other forms of static air washers.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by the construction shown in.the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of an air washer constructed according to this invention.

titioned tank at the bottom of the apparatus.

In its general feature the air washing apparatus shownin the drawing comprises a plurality of narrow and considerably elongated entering ducts or passages for the air. These passages lead downwardly to the surface-of the water in a tank and are about one-half inch wide. The partitions which form both the alternating inlet and out-- let passages terminate at the lower edges,

'extending along the water level. The water level in the' washer will drop under each.

air inlet proportionate to the static pres-v sure. When the static pressure of onequarter inch water column on the air has been reached, the water surface is .forced down from its normal level oneuarter inch water column by the force of t e currents of -air passing from the inlets to the outlets around the lower edge of the partitions. The water ysurface takes a semi-circular or concaveform below ther inlets and outlets and extends u wardl along the walls of the outlets until caug t by inverted gutters inclined from the center to both ends, where the water which has been caught is drained back into the pan. The furrows on the surface of the water, caused by the air pressure and its How, are multiplied by the use of a number of partitions just below the normal surface of the water, one being placed between each of the partitions form- .ing air inlets and outlets. The air currents being very shallow (one-quarter inch) in turning the sharp' elbow of one-quarter inch radius of the furrowed water surface, due to centrifugal force throw dust or other foreign particles carried by the air into contact with the water surface.

Because of the narrow air currents and the small water depressions necessary to let the air pass, it is possible to operate by fan suction as well as by fan pressure without blowing the water out of the pan. The water is held at the desired level. by means of a float valve in an adjoining chamber on the side'of the washer.

Referring to the drawings, the casing 1 ozt the apparatus is suitably formed to provide a large air inlet duct 2, and an air outlet duct 3, and a water-containing .pan or tank 4:. The tank portion of the apparatus is divided by the partition 5 into a oat chamber 6 at one side of a chamber 7 which contains the water acted upon by the moving sheet-like ycolumns of air. The level of the water is controlled by a float valve 8 in chamber 6.' The water inlet is indi. cated at 9, the outlet for waste at 10, and an overflow at 11. The normal water level is indicatedbythe dotted line 12, but when the apparatus is in operation the surface of the water assumes the shape indicated by the dotted, line 13, Figure 3. The main body 11i-of the apparatus is divided by a .plurality ofvertical partitions 15 extending "fromthe upper surface of casing 1 -downwardly in more or less triangular form as indicated in Figure 1, to the normal surface' 12 of the water. The upper edges 16 of the partitions, in order to provide a set of air inlet conduits 17 alternating with a set 'of' air outlet conduits 18, are alternately connected together on opposite sides of the apparatus by the closing strips 19. Thus theair enters by aplurality ofspaced conduits and leaves through the space between these conduits.v Centrally located lbelow each air supply conduit 17 'is a vertical partition 20 extending from end toend of theair'supply conduits, but having* its upper edge terminate at the normal 'water level 12 and in line with the lower edges 21 ofthe .partitions 15. These partitions serveto cause the'water .surface` to assumethe furrows of approximatel onequartery inch radius whenfthe "su ace is pressed downwardly by `the air owing around the lower edges 21 of the-partitions 15. y

Vertically extending eliminator plates 22 are centrally located inthe lower part of the outlets 18. These eliminator plates are provided with inverted gutters'23 at their upper edges in order to guide the water. flowing up the surfaces of theeliminator plates towards the ends of the apparatus and back into the tank. Forthis purpose the vgutters 23 are inclined downwardly from the center of the apparatus to its ends. The

inverted gutters of course also prevent water from flowing upwardly and outof the outlet 3 with the air. y

In the operation of the device, the air is delivered to conduit 2 by fan pressure, or may be caused to pass through the apparatus by the'suction of a fan to the 'outlet conduit 3. As, soon as sufficient static .pressure is developed in the inlet conduits 17, or suction in the outlets, the water surface is depressed into the furrowed form as indicated by the dotted lines 13, thus bringing about a very extended water surcles,

4particles or dust.

face with which the air intimately contacts due to its sheet-like form. The centrifugal` The type of washer above described has the advantage that no power is required for moving parts such as spray pumps or revolving drums. p The design is iexible in that it can be made up of a standard sizev or shape of narrow a1r passages and the capacity varied 4by the number of sections used, and, of course, this washer requires less total'space than the usual spray washers even when having far less capacity.

Although but one specic embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described it will be understood that numerous details ofthe construction shownmay bealtered oromitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

1. An apparatus of the class described constructed to vinclude a plurality of alternating narrow parallel air inlet and outlet passages, communication being provided'between these passages at their lower ends due to the pressureof the air upon the water surface at said lower edges, vertical partitions extending along the lower ends of the air inlet passages and downwardly to below the normal water level.

2. .An lapparatus of the class described constructed to include a plurality of alternating narrow parallel air inlet and outlet passages, communication being provided Y between these passages at their lower ends due to the pressure of theA air upon the water surface at said lower edges, eliminator plates equipped with inverted gutters extending along said outlet passages.

3. An apparatus of the class described constructed to include a'plurality of alter- 115 nating narrow parallel air inlet and outlet passages, communication being provided between these passages at their lower ends due to the pressure of the air upon the water surface at said lower edges, vertical partitions extending along the lower ends of the air inlet passages and downwardly to below the normal water level, and eliminator plates equipped with inverted gutters extending along said outlet. passages.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing, means for maintaining a normal water level therein, a plurality of substantially parallel walls extending between said water level and the top of the 13o casing and subdividing -same into alternate walls thereof and both above and below the inlet and outlet passages, a partition extendwater. level, and means for trappin the ow l0 ing along the bottom of each of said air of water upward along and beyon said last inlet passages midway between the walls named partitions.

thereof and from the water level to a sub- Signed at Chicago this 30th day of Janustantial distance below the water level, a ary 1922. d

partition extending along the bottom of each a v of said outlet passages midway between the BURT S. HARRISON. 

